Elisha Graff is a Partner in the Firm’s Restructuring and Bankruptcy Department. He regularly represents clients in connection with out-of-court restructurings and Chapter 11 cases. His work has focused primarily on advising financial institutions in connection with their loans to companies and debtors in connection with their Chapter 11 cases.
Elisha regularly represents JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Wells Fargo Securities, LLC (formerly Wachovia Securities, LLC), and Deutsche Bank, as administrative agent for secured lending syndicates in connection with in-court and out-of-court restructurings. He has also represented private equity clients (including Blackstone, KKR and Apax) in connection with restructuring-related matters, plan sponsors, and acquirers of distressed companies, as well as financial advisors in connection with retention matters.
Recently, he has acted as counsel to Apax Partners, as equity sponsor and holder of over $1.2 billion of debt, in connection with the Chapter 11 case of its portfolio company Cengage Learning. He has also represented JPMorgan in connection with the LightSquared Chapter 11 case. Elisha also recently represented JPMorgan, holder of over $1 billion of special revenue sewer warrants issued by Jefferson County, Alabama, in a multi-year restructuring effort that ultimately resulted in the then-largest Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy filing in the U.S. Elisha represented Wells Fargo in the out-of-court restructuring of certain debt issued by the Puerto Rico Ports Authority. He has also represented Motor Coach Industries International, Inc., and its affiliates in connection with their Chapter 11 cases.
Elisha has also acted as counsel to the Lenders in several large Chapter 11 cases, including Oriental Trading Company; Station Casinos, Inc.; Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation; Idearc Inc.; NextMedia Group, Inc.; Lear Corporation; Adelphia Communications Corp.; Federal-Mogul Corporation; GT Brands, LLC; RCN Corporation; Galey & Lord, Inc.; GenTek, Inc.; and Recoton Corporation.
Elisha also advises the Firm’s private equity clients in connection with the restructuring of their portfolio companies. Elisha advised C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc. in connection with its acquisition of certain assets of the Fleming Companies and Winn-Dixie in the context of the sellers’ respective Chapter 11 cases. He regularly acts as counsel to financial advisors, including The Blackstone Group, Evercore Partners, Lazard Frères & Co., Loughlin Meghji + Company, and Berenson & Company, LLC, in connection with retention and compensation matters in the various restructuring and bankruptcy engagements in which the financial advisors are involved.
He received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Yeshiva University in 1997 and his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 2000.
